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No Evidence of Development from the more than K40 Million in DSIP Delivered to the Kavieng District

*** Serious Questions Remain About the Use of Kavieng K40 Million DSIP ***

The Prime Minister, Hon. Peter O’Neill CMG MP, has raised serious questions about what happened to more than K40 million delivered to the Kavieng District over the past four years.

PM O’Neill said District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) funding has delivered great change for many other districts around the Nation, but not in Kavieng.

“It is within my right to say that there is no evidence of development from the more than K40 million in DSIP delivered to the Kavieng District over the past four years,” PM O’Neill said.

“Why has the K40 million given to the Kavieng District not been spent on improving Kavieng?

“Ben Micah’s focus should be on serving the neglected people of Kavieng, instead he is being driven by selfish grandstanding that is driven by ego. A leader should be able to accept any criticism leveled against them based on fact, instead of crying foul and lashing out with unsubstantiated criticism against others.

“A leader should be able to take criticism, learn from it, and strive to do a better job at delivering development and services for the people.

“When I went into Parliament in 2002, the Somare Government did not give any support to districts in the country. Not even a Toea went to Kavieng District, not a Toea from the Government went into my district of Ialibu-Pangia.

“That is why all the services were run down right around the country. All the roads were run down, law and order was a big issue, schools were run down, health services and everything was run down.

“But when we went into government in 2012, we changed all this and now all districts receive direct funding in our country.

“For the first time in the history of our country, funding is going straight to the districts because I want it to reach people.”

The Prime Minister said the personal attacks by the Kavieng member are unfortunate, but that is the way he has handled himself since leaving Government.

“Ben Micah really should remember that in 2011, when he was bankrupt and jobless, I picked him up from nothing and gave him a second chance.

“The bad decisions he has made in recent years have led him to where he is today – alienated in his own party and disowned by his people.

“His troubles today are a demonstration of disloyalty and ego, and he has a price to pay.

The Prime Minister said despite questions over the use of Kavieng’s DSIP, the National Government has continued to directly fund projects in New Ireland Province.

“We are about to finish work on the road going down to Buluminski, and we have completed renovations of the Kavieng Hospital and airport fencing, and many roads and jetties and other projects were directly funded by the National Government. All school fees and hospitals have been funded by the National Government.”